Ms Iryna Yatchenko is a Belarussian Athlete competing in the Women’s Discus Throw Final at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
In 2012, the IOC decided to perform further analyses on certain samples collected during the 2004 Olympic Games. These additional analyses were performed with analytical methods which were not available in 2004.
In July 2012 the IOC has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the Athlete after her 2004 A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance metandienone and oxandrolone.
After notification the Athlete filed a statement in her defence and submitted that she was retired and did not attend the hearing of the IOC Disciplinary Commission.
The Athlete did not challenge the analytical results. She did not have any explanations for the presence of the prohibited substances. She made an unsupported hypothesis that it could have been the consequence of the ingestion of nutritional supplements. These explanations did not put the finding of anti-doping rule violation in question.
After carefully considering the elements in file, the IOC Disciplinary Commission unanimously concluded that the Athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to Article 2.1 of the Rules, which provides as follows: “The following constitute anti-doping violations: [2.1] The presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites or Markers in an Athlete’s bodily Specimen”.
Therefore the IOC Executive Board, as recommended by the IOC Disciplinary Commission, decides on 1 December that the Athlete Iryna Yatchenko:
1.) is found to have to have committed an anti-doping rule violation pursuant to Article 2.1 of the IOC Anti-Doping Rules applicable to the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens in 2004 (presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s bodily specimen);
2.) is disqualified from the Women’s Discus Throw Final where she had placed 3rd at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games; and
3.) shall have her medal and diploma in the above-mentioned event withdrawn.
4.) The International Association of Athletics Federations (“IAAF”) is requested to modify the results of the above-mentioned event accordingly and to consider any further action within its own competence.
5.) The NOC of Belarus is ordered to return to the IOC, as soon as possible, the medal and diploma awarded to the Athlete in relation to the above-mentioned event.
6.) The NOC of Belarus shall ensure full implementation of this decision.
